Elevators & Rooftops
by AULOVE
Summary: A short Drabble, Modern AU of the Elevator Scene in Catching Fire: "Baby" Peeta uttered again. Katniss' pert nose wiggled with immeasurable discomfort. He was not allowed to use that name in public. At least not after the stunt he was part of in the elevator ride down.


AN: I wrote this for the Farewell for Prompts in Panem, Submission for day Six for PIP Red to Blue. It's a modern spin of the aftermath of elevator scene in CF. I hope you enjoy it.

I personally love this part in Catching Fire because I can just picture Katniss lose her cool with Johanna's hijinks. Any ways, please enjoy!

PS...I do not the own Hunger Games or any of it's Characters.

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"Katniss wait…" Peeta called out to her as she quickly raced through the front door of their apartment building. Peeta paid the cab driver. During the ride home she crossly sat refusing to speak to him. Peeta did not answer her outraged cry in the elevator. Some arguments were better left for home. He was glad the ride was short.

Katniss ignored Peeta's calls as she stormed through the lobby and hurried to grab the elevator. She hated these contraptions. Katniss swore she would never use one after this, as she stepped into the necessary evil.

Her heart accelerated by the need to flee. The need to give into the rage she felt at the moment overwhelmed her. She saw red. Everything was bathed in the passionate heated color. Even as Peeta rushed over her silver eyes noted how he changed colors. His blond hair looked orange and his crystal blue eyes, at the moment looked purple. Katniss shut her eyes and shook her head her breath shaky.

"Katniss, baby, sweetheart…" Peeta said catching up to her.

The sound of him using the pet names he called her when they were intimate, caused her silver eyes to snap open and flare up with ire. Peeta stood there looking at her with his blue eyes, eyes that could see well into her dark soul.

He was beauty and light. He was strong and soft. Peeta's hands held brutal strength, but he sculpted the most delicate cake decorations. He was perfection. A cherub in the body of a well chiseled man. He looked like Michelangelo's David. Where as she, was a poorly fitted puzzle built out of fire and rage.

"Baby" Peeta said hoping to find a way to calm her down. She looked beautiful to him in the midst of her fury. Her eyes were like mercury, her tan skin glowed. Her dark tresses seemed alive and electric. He loved this woman with all of her imperfections. Peeta loved Katniss from the tender age of five. His world was like a blank canvas devoid of colors until, he saw her, in her red plaid dress. Even now as she stared at him with all of her pent up rage, he wanted to reach out to her and kiss her senseless.

"Baby" Peeta uttered again.

Katniss' pert nose wiggled with immeasurable discomfort. He was not allowed to use that name in public. At least not after the stunt he was part of in the elevator ride down. They were on their way home from his Fraternity Reunion, when Johanna Mason happened. Recalling the moment brought Katniss back to seething. She wanted to cry, she wanted to shake him. She wanted to yell into his face. Her emotions were all over the place. Katniss narrowed her eyes and before she lost her last shred of calm she punched the elevator door button. Then watched as the doors slid closed in his beautiful face.

"Katniss, no, wait…" Peeta's fist punched the closed elevator doors.

Lately she had been in such a bad mood. Last month, her only sister Prim eloped with Gale's younger brother. Katniss found out through her estranged mother of all people. What shocked them the most was Prim leaving Med-School to follow Rory on his trek to explore the world. This week her car broke down in the rain and he couldn't get to her on time. Yesterday she had a mini meltdown because her only set of comfortable heels broke.

To say she was ornery going to the party was an understatement. The stunt Johanna pulled tonight did not help lighten her mood. Katniss had not eaten a single morsel at the party, all she drank was water. Katniss never negated herself out good food and drinks. No food was bad sign and Peeta should have seen that. He needed to catch her before she got to their apartment. Peeta cursed under his breath. He looked to the stairs, glad they lived on the fourth floor. As he quickly ran up the stairs, Peeta thought to himself, this was not how he wanted this evening to end.

He had it all planned out. Tonight after the reunion party of his Fraternity, Peeta was going to take her up to the roof of their apartment. He wanted to surprise her and romance her. Peeta wanted to remind her they were a team because lately they were not on the same page. He thought perhaps Katniss was acting out of character because he was busy at his Bakery as she dealt with her mother, Gale and Prim.

Peeta wanted to show her just how much he loved her. Momentarily everything was messed up, but he knew if he could just speak to her everything would be resolved. Miraculously Peeta arrived at their floor before the elevator did. He was breathing heavy but was glad all of that Spartan exercise he did paid off. They were leaving the roof top party when Johanna slipped into the elevator. That is when all of his plans went to hell.

The sounds of the soft ding announcing the elevators arrival let Peeta know he had to act quickly before Katniss stormed off.

The elevator doors slid open. Katniss was surprised when she saw Peeta waiting for her.

Peeta took advantage, pushed her back inside the elevator and hit the button to the top floor. "You are going to listen to me."

"All of the sudden you to talk to me, but you couldn't offer up to words after I asked you what the hell happened in that elevator." Katniss hissed.

"I needed for you to calm down. I know how you get when you see red." Peeta calmly stated.

"Calm down my foot Peeta. That woman ripped her clothing off and asked you to unzip her dress. The zipper was on the side!" Katniss snarled.

"Her zipper was stuck. Besides I didn't even take a peek at her." Peeta stood up to her, but in a non threatening way. He didn't want to push her further away

Katniss' face became slack jawed. "So you are telling me that you didn't peek or take a small look at Johanna Mason as she stripped in front of you."

Peeta blushed, any other man would have. But he couldn't, it just wasn't it in him. He kept his eyes above Johanna's neck. "Katniss I didn't."

"I was in the elevator with you as she was feeling up her greasy…." Katniss hands fluttered at her chest having the inability to say boobs.

Peeta watched her struggle as she tried to say breasts. This was part of the reason he was so in love with her. In their bedroom she was a wildcat, but outside of that she was shy about that side of their relationship. She had always been like that, his pure goddess. As a teenager before they got together she seemed so pure, so untouchable. He droopily tried to cope with his feelings towards Katniss. He, tried dating, but none of the girls held a candle to Katniss. He was lucky that in the eleventh grade they were paired together in Miss Effie Trinket's marriage project. They were stuck for the entire year. After that they were inseparable. Peeta got to know every side of her, but he had never seen her get jealous until now. He had also never experienced her being so irate all the time. It was sexy.

Once more he patiently tried to speak to her. "Katniss."

Katniss' eyes flashed dangerously. She pointed her finger at his chest. She could barely contain the turmoil she felt from her voice. "Don't you dare Katniss me? I stood there, listening to her, tell you how hot you were and how every girl at that party wanted to be with you!"

Peeta was turned on. He grinned then said. "Johanna was drunk. Besides I am not into her."

"UGGH" Katniss stomped her feet. The red haze was clouding her judgment. Johanna Mason was like Samantha from Sex in The City. There was hardly anyone who had not slept with the sexy brunet when they were in college. It irked her that she and Peeta were friends. Katniss felt whoever invited that woman to the reunion should have been shot. Katniss narrowed her silver eyes and pushed her dark hair away from her shoulders. She recalled how Johanna had slipped her extra key card in Peeta's suit pocket.

What happened in the elevator was her worst nightmare. He was so good and she was turbulent and selfish. Attractive women always wanted him. Peeta had beautiful girlfriends in High School. Back then she often felt inadequate because she was so inexperienced. She was unlike his previous girlfriends. But she made up for it as they grew together. Lately those old feelings came back, when her world seemed to crash down on her. These volatile emotions were too much for her.

Katniss swallowed as tears threatened to make an appearance in her silvery eyes. Peeta was her first crush, first kiss, and one and only lover. What happened tonight made her so angry. Katniss fists balled up right before she slipped her hand in his pocket and removed the offensive hotel key card. Her voice crackled with unbridled wrath. "You want dispute this."

"Katniss there is no need to act like this. Johanna knows all too well where I stand with you. Besides that's Finnick's card look at the number."

Katniss looked down at the card. It read room 5114. Johanna had gotten off on the third floor and said her room number was 3321. Katniss looked at Peeta slightly confused. She felt herself becoming less mad.

"She just wanted to mess around with you, because she knows how much it would bother you." Peeta wanted to reach out to her, he could see her deflating. However to touch Katniss now would result into a bigger situation. Despite all of this difficulty he could not help what he felt for her.

He was a goner from the moment he heard her sing the valley song in preschool. Katniss did not know how wonderful she was. She was fiercely loyal, family oriented and when she loved she loved with every last fiber of her being. Despite all of the wealth his family had, he lacked this type of love and devotion as a child. "Trust me Johanna is a lot of things but she is not like Gale. She would never try to break us up."

At the mention of her former best friend Katniss eyes widened. She knew how much her friendship with Gale bothered Peeta when they were younger. Gale was just as fiery and stubborn as she was. Gale did try to break them up, in those early years. Gale's last attempt was when they were away in college. He had shown up, of all places, at Peeta's fraternity. He tried to kiss her but Katniss did not respond. After that she and Gale had a falling out. Peeta was wonderful. He never blamed her for what Gale tired to do. Her temperature immediately plummeted. Things were becoming a misty hue of yellow. Katniss had no words for what she was feeling. "I just."

"Katniss we have known each other since we were kids. I would never cheat on you." Peeta slowly approached her. He could see the way her silver eyes swirled with emotions.

Katniss recalled it all. He saved her life. As children they grew up in the same town but she had never glanced at him until she lost her father at eleven. Her father was a fireman and died doing his job. As a child Katniss tried desperately to keep her family together. She had a paper route, walked dogs, mowed lawns, did anything to earn enough money to help pay the bills. The memory of those early years caused her pain.

She crossed her arms over her chest. She kept it a secret that her mother became depressed and for a time closed herself off to her daughters. No one but Peeta knew she was starving, because he began to leave brown paper packages filled with bread from his dad's bakery at her doorstep. Katniss caught him delivering the parcels of food one morning. It was then she began to fall for him.

When her mother came out of the depression she did not want Peeta's gifts, she chased him away. Peeta stopped coming but Katniss kept an eye on him. Until they were sixteen and fate brought them together. It was then became her everything despite her fears of inadequacy. Peeta was well off, she was not. Peeta was liked by all and she only had one friend, Gale. When it was time to choose a college Peeta chose the only college she could afford, instead of going away to an ivy league, just be with her. She kept thinking one day hew as going to tire of her and drop her. Seeing someone like Johanna proposition him, in the elevator, made Katniss realize how easily she could lose him. Men walked away from women all time. Everything was becoming filled with anxiety again as her world went from hazy yellow to nearly red orange.

She closed her eyes.

It was then she felt his rough hands cup her face. When he graduated with his business degree, Peeta opened a bakery. His bakery was very popular. It kept him busy and in fantastic shape. Though his body was beautiful, it was his hands that she loved the most. Katniss sighed at the contact of his hands on her skin. Baker's hands were rough and soft at the same time, and she loved the way they felt on her body.

Peeta could see the way she yielded to him. He slanted his mouth over hers. Her hands curled up into the jacket of his suit. Katniss opened her lips to him; she let his tongue invade her mouth. She pressed hers against his. It was a short battle he won, he always did. What Peeta could do with that mouth of his, made her toes curl. Her whole body was out of whack, instantly desiring this man.

The elevator doors opened and he smiled. Stepping away he offered her his hand. Katniss took it letting him lead her blindly up to the roof.

She gasped at the sight of the garden he set up here. Twinkling lights, a table set up with champagne, rows of wild flowers lined the roof. She wanted to cry and bit down on her lower lip from doing so.

"I wanted our own roof top party tonight. Something Johanna knew about. She helped me plan this."

"Peeta." Katniss uttered. She turned to look at him. He was on his knee a small ring with a pearl in his hand.

"Marry me girl on fire?"

Katniss blinked ready to cry but then she roughly blurted "I can't drink champagne."

Peeta was at first startled by her rough outburst. "Okay, ah, I guess."

"I can't have any alcohol." Katniss sucked in her breath hoping he would understand. "I have to be sober Peeta, at least for next few months."

Peeta frowned then though carefully at what Katniss was telling him. All evening long she refused any drink. She sipped water but he did not catch on until this moment when she made the awkward announcement. His blue eyes widened. "Katniss…"

Katniss let it happen. She let the torrid of emotions she kept inside these two months free and she cried in front of him. Her nose filled with mucus her eyes became faucets. She thought she looked horrible with her blotchy face due to her ugly cry. Her world became colorless until Peeta put his hands on her and warmth radiated from his hands to her shocked love starved being.

His hands cautiously touched her mid section. It explained everything, her foul moods her rage, anger, her dramatic reaction to Johanna. Her tearing up over a pair of heals. "You're…we're."

Katniss nodded as she felt his arms go around her. Her own wrapping themselves around his shoulders, the secret was out and she felt safe in his arms. He accepted the child she fretted about all these months. She did not want him to feel trapped. She did not want him to reject her. It was silly. It was childish. It was her hormones playing on her insecurities.

"Does this mean you'll marry me still?" Peeta murmured into her hair.

Katniss laughed. She was relaxed and everything took on a bluish tint. Her body was filled with light and beauty. "Yes."

Peeta could not help the smile that lit up his soul. He looked into her eyes. "We can do this together."

"I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else."

Peeta understood. There was only one woman for him. One girl he wanted to spend every moment for the rest of his life with. And as they walked back down the stairs and took the elevator back down to their floor Peeta murmured. "Me either."


End file.
